This month (November) I attended a lecture by Andy Sandoz (Work Club) at the D&AD Liverpool Design Symposium. Recently I have been interested and motivated by conceptual design and ideas generation in which I have began to purchase many books. Throughout Andy's lecture this is what he mainly discussed. I found some parts of the creativity process fascinating. I then decided to contact Andy to ask him some questions. In response to my questions I found his answers VERY insightful, inspirational and helpful.
1. As a designer I tend to be logical/functional. Do you think these kind of designers have a short shelf life?
Nope. I think there is plenty of space for all kinds of creativity. Often people work in teams and their skillsets balance each other out, or moreover take each other up. Creativity is often a ladder you climb to the answer rather than a flash of brilliance. Good design is always borne out of function first. Whether the iPod-wheel or the original wheel both had a problem to solve. Btw often the most logical step is the correct step. Many people miss that. Or call it simplicity and think it's easy. In fact it's very hard to be simple. Over time you may find that you ideas catch up and balance the logical as you understand more about where to put your ideas. However there are plenty of ideas people who don't yet know how to apply their ideas, and there are plenty of functional people who don't yet know how to have ideas. The operative in this is 'don't yet know' as i think both sides can be learned and exercised to a high degree over time.
2. Sometimes I feel a 'fraud' within design as I am not very creative and feel as so im not contributing like other designers with concept driven work. Do you think that graphic designers MUST to be 'ideas' based.
I would say you are not alone here. You are probably voicing most of the advertising/design industry peoples fears. Although no-one would admit that :) I think impostor syndrome is really common in all walks of life. It seems a basic human insecurity. I think design is best when it has a conceptual thread running through it. Adds to the narrative or story. However it doesn't supplant the need for function. A lot of beautiful things are the way they are because of the function they perform. McLaren F1 say their car is beautiful, but it's beauty is a by-product of it's design. I imagine you can find many stories like this in Mother Nature. Peacocks. Flowers. I also think that you will improve conceptually. I recall when i started out i was amazed at designers who knew what the answer was, or moreover where able to just dive in and make something. Over time i was able to do this as the skill and knowledge grew.
3. Aware that I can improve on concepts within my design work I have purchased and read many books for tips and advice. Some people beleive ideas people are born and not made. Do you agree with this comment?
I'm not sure, or qualified to answer in any effective sense really. I think creativity is a particular set-up just like someone who is good at football. But it's not as clear as that. I think it's a mix of different things you can have the best ideas, but if you don't know what to do with them you will end up on your shed frustrated believing the world owes you something. I have worked with many kinds of creative people. Outside of the Advertising industry creative people are probably very amused that there is actually a job called Creative and they think it's not that creative. It's all subjective. I'm not sure books are the answer. Just try things. Simple :)
4. Do you have any tips on how I can improve concepts within my work.
Thinking about that a natural work pattern is this: designer tasked with small part of a project. designer tasked with a large part of a project. lead designer tasking other people. art director overseeing lead designers. design director overseeing art directors over multiple projects. creative director overseeing all business and work.
In that way you can see the change is actually magnitude of focus. You take on more as you understand and see more. Why would you think you have to have all the answers at the beginning of this journey?
If you do the above perhaps you will have more fun. Learn more and by doing so improve. You may find that ideas and your work naturally come together. You may find that you are happy with your particular brand of creativity and no longer need to strive for a more homogenised industry view propagated by people in books who perhaps don't really know what they are talking about either. So try and tackle smaller things first and perhaps the bigger things will become clear and your conceptual side will evolve. To be honest all this is just my opinion. What i have learned to date. You may find it different. Guess you will find out. Just make sure you enjoy the process :)
